Christmas 2019 Part 1

Well, Christmas 2019 was definitely one to remember. We were so excited to celebrate Claire's first Christmas and filled our month with holiday fun, and then it kind of fizzled when the stomach bug hit our house on Christmas Day. 😑 BUT, we nevertheless had a great holiday season! Here's part 1 of the fun!

We kicked off the festivities by walking the Galaxy of Lights at the Botanical Gardens with some friends. It was cold, but we had fun bundling up and seeing all of the beautiful lights!

Henry and Claire got Christmas pajamas and a new Christmas book that we gave them on the first night of December. Henry was SO EXCITED to open the present that I felt a little bad that it was only pajamas. But he was thrilled with them and kept thanking us over and over again and saying "I love my new 'jamas!" I had washed them ahead of time so they could put them on right away (yes, I'm weird about wearing clothes before they've been washed!), and he even said "Thank you mommy for washing them!" He can be so difficult, but he can also be THE SWEETEST!

 

Matching jammies for brother and sister!

 

We attended Whitesburg's Hanging of the Green with Nana and had such a good time. I grew up going to this service, and then Caleb and I both performed in it with the youth choir, so it was special to go back and take our kids. The service was beautiful, the choir did an amazing job, and our kids did SO WELL! It lasted about an hour and a half, and they both sat pretty still and listened to the music. And then of course enjoyed the lit candles! We were so proud!

 

Henry got to participate in Twickenham Kid's annual Christmas play, and his class played the angels. They sat on the stage for about 30 minutes singing various Christmas songs. It was freezing cold and snowing on this night and I really wanted to skip the performance, but I'm glad we didn't. It was really cute, and Henry was really proud to be on the stage!

 

 

Mimi gave Henry a chocolate advent calendar again this year, and he was obsessed with it. One of the first things he said every morning was "Oh! I need to do my chocolate!" and we'd have to convince him to wait until after breakfast. Then in the afternoon he'd say it again, and be upset that he had already eaten it. 😂

We went down to Centreville one weekend to do Christmas with both sides of Caleb's extended family, and had a really good time seeing everybody. We had lunch with the Langston's and then went across the street to Mamaw and Daddy Wayne's house. They had a nativity scene set up in their yard, and when Henry saw baby Jesus he got so excited and said "He lives in my heart!" I told you...the sweetest! 

Henry and I enjoyed making Christmas treats to give to friends and neighbors. He was such a big helper!

The week before Christmas, we took the kids to drive through the Galaxy of Lights. Henry loved it, but Claire was getting a little restless, hence why I had to get in the back and take her out of her carseat. 😜

  

The Sunday before Christmas, we hosted our little annual party for family. We had yummy food, hot chocolate, gingerbread house decorating for the kids, and party poppers! We did our traditional "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" reading, and my dad won a mug full of chocolate. 😊 It was a great kickoff to Christmas week!